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Stoke, forced into just the one change after Bruno Martins Indi replaced hamstring victim Erik Pieters, were defending a 10-game unbeaten run stretching back to their home defeat against Birmingham in mid-October.

Meanwhile Birmingham, beaten three times in their 10 games since winning at Stoke in October, brought in Jota as their only change from their weekend win at Wigan.

And it was the Spaniard trying to set the pace for what promised to be a frantic festive derby by outwitting both Martins Indi and James McClean to rap a low shot across and goal and narrowly past the far post... after all of 21 seconds and from Stoke’s kick off.

Stoke had barely caught their breath by the time Lukas Jutkiewicz collapsed under the weight of a Ryan Shawcross challenge to spark penalty shouts, but more from supporters than players and the referee wasn’t interested.

Stoke City's Sam Clucas reacts as his shot on the Birmingham goal is blocked.

Gary Gardner was quickly booked for hacking down Tom Ince to substantiate the impression there wasn’t going to be too much love on show on such a potentially significant occasion.

Ince was in the thick of the action at the other end soon after when gifting Che Adams the ball, but then recovering superbly to block the striker’s eventual attempt on goal.

James McClean had already drilled one hopeful effort over by the time he seized on a half clearance to shoot low and force Lee Camp into his first save in the 14th minute.

Jack Butland brought off a tougher save a minute later, however, when Jutkiewicz was allowed to head a corner goalwards and test the England keeper’s reactions through a criss cross of players.

The pace of Adams was an ever present threat, but not when Ryan Shawcross wisely flattened the Birmingham striker to earn Stoke’s first booking.

And Stoke’s best chance of the half came towards its end as Ashley Williams played in Saido Berahino left of goal for a shot against Camp - and the rebound was then missed by one Stoke player before a second, the increasingly noticeable Clucas, fired wide of a crowded goal-line.

There was still time for Camp to spill an Ince shot before gathering the loose ball as Stoke promised to end the half far better than they had begun it.

But only promised because it was Birmingham snatching a half-time lead when Maghoma successfully let fly from distance after Stoke’s failure to clear to leave Butland with no chance diving full length to his left.

The visitors, backed by nearly 3,000 behind the Birmingham goal, showed signs of forcing the pace after the restart, but it was Birmingham who were first to truly raise the temperature when the ever-menacing Adams marauded right of goal on a counter-attack and was tugged to the ground by a desperate Cuco Martina inches outside his own area.

Stoke survived the subsequent free-kick before Butland was then down smartly at his near post to foil Jota as the visitors were hanging on at times for a period since the break.

Their manager issued a statement of attacking intent on the hour mark by throwing on Peter Crouch and Benik Afobe for Woods and Berahino to try and pull something out of a sticky situation.

And almost immediately Stoke were attacking and appealing for a penalty from a right-wing corner before the ball broke for Allen’s goalbound shot to be sliced behind his goal by Blues defender Michael Morrison.

Stoke fans cleared their throats, in hope and expectation perhaps, but it was Butland fisting clear Maghoma’s 66th minute attempt to score his second and then Williams blocking Jutkiewicz shot at close quarters.

The game appeared to have another goal in it, somewhere, and a foul on McClean just outside the Blues box offered a chance from which Allen’s free-kick was too easily headed clear.

Stoke’s patient approach play was yielding too few openings approaching the final 10 minutes, while a long ball into the Blues box was easily swallowed by the keeper.

Frustration continued, with no little help from the referee at times, as Stoke huffed and puffed without exerting any genuine late pressure.

And the second goal, when it did come, came at the wrong end for Stoke as Bogle, not unlike Maghoma earlier in the afternoon, shot speculatively and saw his long-ranger beat a stranded and helpless Butland to finish things.

And it might have been even worse had Shawcross not slid across the ground to prevent Maghoma’s fierce shot testing Butland.